12 (Ryuichi Sakamoto album) explained

12
Type:	studio
Artist:	Ryuichi Sakamoto
Cover:	Ryuichi Sakamoto - 12.jpg
Border:	yes
Genre:	Electronic minimal
Length:	60:01
Label:	Milan Commmons
Producer:	Ryuichi Sakamoto
Prev Title:	To the Moon and Back
Prev Year:	2022

12 is the fifteenth and final solo studio album (twentieth studio album overall^[1]) by Ryuichi Sakamoto.^[2] It was released on January 17, 2023, two months before his death from cancer,^[3] through Milan Records and Commmons.

Composition

12 has been noted to be an "unhurried" minimalist electronic album that features the "sound of him breathing as though engaged in strenuous activity" overlaid on "sparse piano pieces within electronic soundscapes imbued with a sobering weight."^{[4] [5] [6]}

Critical reception

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 85 based on nine reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Paul Simpson compared it to Sakamoto's previous work. Simpson claimed that, "While [''[[async (album)|async]]] was an inventive, ambitious work incorporating field recordings, spoken word vocals, and several guest musicians, 12 is considerably more stripped-down, created entirely by Sakamoto, mostly playing piano and synthesizers." Simpson concluded by stating that, "being aware that it was his final work adds emotional weight to music that appears fragile and delicate." In a review for The Skinny, Tony Inglis awarded 12 a 5-star rating and noted that unlike Sakamoto's previous works, 12 is a "collection [that] instead deals in the turbulent and unpredictable period that comes before the unknown." In a positive review for Pitchfork, Rob Arcand highlighted how "Rarely does an album this understated say so much."

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"

Peak position
Italian Albums (FIMI)^[7]	70
Japanese Combined Albums (Oricon)^[8]	4
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)^[9]	3
UK Albums Sales (OCC)^[10]	31
UK Physical Albums (OCC)^[11]	25

Monthly charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"

Peak position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)^[12]	21

Notes and References

1. Web site: Kress . Bryan . April 2, 2022 . Ryuichi Sakamoto, Pioneering Electronic Music Composer, Dead at 71 . April 3, 2023 . Consequence.
2. News: William . Mata . 3 April 2023 . Who was Ryuichi Sakamoto and what scores did he compose? Japanese legend dies aged 71 . . 3 April 2023.
3. News: Tsioulcas . Anastasia . Ryuichi Sakamoto, a godfather of electronic pop, has died . 2 April 2023 . NPR . 2 April 2023 . Tsioulcas 2023.
4. Web site: Attard . Paul . 2023-01-11 . Ryuichi Sakamoto '12' Review: A Stark Song Cycle About Mortality . 2023-03-07 . Slant Magazine . en-US.
5. Web site: Ryuichi Sakamoto: 12 . 2023-03-07 . Pitchfork . en-US.
6. News: 2023-01-20 . Ryuichi Sakamoto: 12 album review — the sound of ongoing life . Financial Times . 2023-03-07.
7. Web site: Album – Classifica settimanale WK 26 (dal 23.06.2023 al 29.06.2023). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. it. 1 July 2023.
8. Web site: Oricon Top 50 Combined Albums: 2023-01-30 . . March 1, 2023. ja.
9. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of April 12, 2023. Billboard Japan. ja. April 12, 2023.
10. Web site: Official Albums Sales Chart Top 100 . . September 3, 2023.
11. Web site: Official Physical Albums Chart Top 100 . . September 3, 2023.
12. Web site: Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2023-01 . . March 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230208054230/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/m/2023-01/p/3/ . February 8, 2023 . ja.